


Shadows of the past

by Melusien



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drama & Romance, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magnus shows some of his dark side, Malec will stay together, Near Death Experiences, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Alec Lightwood, So no cheating, past Magnus Bane/Original Male Character, some Sizzy - Freeform, they are just plot device
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-01-16 10:38:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18519736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melusien/pseuds/Melusien
Summary: Strange demonic beings are suddenly showing up all over New York and Magnus is not happy at all. He knows these creatures and is soon forced to return to a place he has long since left behind. There are old enemies, old friends, a past relationship and painful memories ... but with Alec at his side, maybe he can face all this. Maybe it's time to finally fix old mistakes and let Alec see the not so pretty sides of his past.





	1. In your darkest night

**Author's Note:**

> This story begins after the finale of Season 2 and Jace is fine. There is no Lilith or anything else, just a new enemy I have come up with. Also English is not my first language so there will be some mistakes - sorry about that, i hope you enjoy it anyway.

It was dark, cold and lonely. Magnus connected these words with many moments of his life and usually it was loneliness, that scares him the most. It followed him like a shadow, reminding him that nothing would last forever. The curse of immortality, which demanded its price like everything else.

But at this moment, it was the cold that took his breath away. Around him stretched a seemingly endless expanse of snow and ice, that had lost its natural gleam due to the lack of sunshine. He knew this place, had been here years ago.

His glowing cat eyes swept over the black, dead trees and ruined buildings which were but a sad remnant of their former beauty. The stormy wind carried a few snowflakes and they felt like ice-cold needles against his face despite their delicate nature. Ironically it was the cold that burned the most. Unlike fire, however, it lured you into a deep numbness after all this pain and then let you fall asleep forever.  
Magnus preferred the quick brutality of fire, for there was nothing worse for him than not being able to feel emotions properly. A fate that could befell any warlock in their long life and it was something he tried to fight with all his might.

"What a hypocrite you are…," a voice suddenly whispered beside his ear, causing a shiver to crawl down his spine. The warlock wanted to turn around but then he noticed the thick chains on his wrists. The dull, dark red lines under his shoes that marked a magical prison in the snow. "You don’t want your emotions to fade ... to feel that emptiness, but you left us exactly with that curse, " continued the deep voice, which was as cold and biting as ice scraping against each other. Crystal-clear, blue eyes appeared in his field of vision, along with a pale face that could have been beautiful a long time ago.

"You left us no choice, " Magnus answered in a slightly shaky voice as his breath got carried away by the wind in the form of white mists. Sharp fingernails suddenly cut deep into his shoulder blade, as if they wanted to reach his lungs from there. Burning cold shot like poison through his veins and Magnus clenched his teeth so he wouldn’t make a sound.

"You didn’t choose anything else!," the dark creature hissed beside him, emphasizing the first word in particular, "You used your magic and locked me up in this cage". A big fire blazed up in front of Magnus but it did not scare him despite its burning intensity. Like the snow, this flame was painfully familiar to him.  
"We're both warlocks and i trusted you," the man continued their rather one-sided conversation and his voice turned mocking, “But instead you let yourself be guided by a fire that burned you too in the end. Love is such a terrible illusion…in critical situations it only brings out the ugliest sides of you. Selfishness, recklessness...to save those who keep your heart in chains. But don’t worry ... you'll both pay for it. "  
Magnus felt a push and stumble forward into the blazing flames. Felt how his skin burned off and in the distance the cry of a dying dragon echoed into the dark night ...

 

 

"Magnus!," the warlock startled up, his breath frantic, and somewhere to his right he saw his magic flying across the blanket in reddish sparks. It took a moment for him to understand where he was. But once familiar objects crept into his eye, the feeling of relief could not be greater. He didn’t want to have anything to do with this other world anymore, neither the icy cold nor the blazing flames.

"Hey," Magnus jerked slightly as a large, warm hand settled on his shoulder. It was not necessary at all, because he recognized this voice. If the sight of his apartment calmed his mind, that person did it with his raging heart. "Alexander," it was a soft, relieved sigh and he turned to face the worried eyes of his Shadowhunter.

His dark hair was still ruffled by sleep and his neck showed two red marks - something the warlock had left there last night. "Are you okay?" Alexander asked, looking at Magnus as if someone had attacked him in his sleep. A smile crept onto his lips, which, however, fell off his face just as quickly, before he could even answer. The hand on his shoulder had now slipped to his upper arm, but the other one was resting close to Alec's upper body - and she had obvious burn marks.

"What happened?" Magnus immediately asked and grabbed Alec's wrist to have a better look at the injuries, "Was someone here-".

Alexander interrupted his slightly hectic speech by gently tugging his chin up to make Magnus look at him again.

"Hey, calm down okay? I tried to wake you up because you suddenly start shaking," the Shadowhunter explained and Magnus could not understand how Alec's whole attention was still to him, rather than his injured hand.  
"I think you even spoke in another language, I'm not sure. But you just wouldn’t wake up and then your magic suddenly flared up, " Magnus stopped listening as a horrible suspicion formed in his head. He thought of his magic, which was still around a few seconds ago.

"Your hand," he finally interrupted Alec and his gaze turned back to the burn marks, "Was...was that me?". Alexander's brief hesitation was enough of an answer and he tried to ignore the lump in his throat as he conjured his magic to heal Alec's hand.

"Magnus it was not your fault, you did not do it on purpose," Alexander immediately tried to reassure him but it didn’t stop the guilt to creep into his stomach like a sharp knife. Alec looked troubled but let him heal his hand, knowing how was important it was for Magnus right now. Directly after that he took Magnus' face into both hands and made sure the warlock looked into his eyes.

"Magnus it's okay, I have experienced much worse, it hardly hurt," gentle lies, but Magnus appreciated the effort.

"What upset you this much?" Alexander asked as if the fact that his boyfriend had just burned his hand was the least of his worries.

"It was ... just a dream, something like that shouldn’t have happened. I'm so sorry, Alexander, "Magnus replied softly, placing his hand over Alec's so that he could feel his now healed skin.  
His boyfriend continued to look worried and Magnus could almost see Alec quarreling with himself before asking another question, "Want to talk about it?". He was cautious and both knew why. Magnus did not like to reveal anything about his past, too deep was the fear of what Alec would think once he finds out about the darkest moments of his life.

"No, it was just a bad memory. I left it behind years ago, so this was probably a one-time thing, "the warlock at least tried as communication was still a work in progress between them. He also gently took Alec's hands away from his face to hold them in his own instead.

Alexander nodded, even though he obviously was still worried. The Shadowhunter was just about to say something when suddenly his phone rang. A long sigh escaped his lips and Magnus wanted to do the same. "Answer it," the warlock said, watching as Alec reached for his phone but let Magnus hold one of his hands. He starts tracing a rune with his finger out of habit but frowned when he felt a cold gust of wind on his neck.

"That was Izzy, there seems to be few demons around the city," this startled Magnus out of his thoughts and only then did he realize how bright his bedroom was. "Shouldn't you be in the institute already?" he asked a bit confused, whereupon Alexander shrugged a little helplessly, "Well, I just wanted to get ready when you…".

He doesn’t finish and Magnus suppressed the urge to lower his eyes. He forced a small smile instead. "Thank you for staying here. But I'm better now, you should not keep the others waiting, " he said and Alec returned his smile in a similar way. This was far from over and both had still a lot to say. But time was a cruel thing and demons didn’t wait for them to solve their problems.

"Are you sure?" Alexander asked one last time and Magnus didn’t know if he should find it scary or heartwarming that probably one word would be enough and his boyfriend would stay here. The people of New York were lucky that he was not a selfish man.  
"Yes, don’t worry. Just call me if there's a problem, " Magnus replied with a small wave of his hand and stopped short when Alec leaned over and kissed him. "And you call me if you need to talk or feel bad again," he answered gently and this time it was an honest smile that crossed Magnus's lips, "Of course."

Alexander gave him a second kiss, before he disappeared into the bathroom.  
Magnus watched him go and waited until he heard the shower. His eyes slid to the ceiling as he laid down again and he was grateful that some of Alec's warmth still lingered in the bed sheets. Because no matter how unlikely it was, the longer he stared upward, the more he saw of the dim ice that slowly spread further and further across the room.


	2. Ashes falling like snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec is worried, old enemies appear and dark flames rise again...

Alec made his way back to the Institute with a familiar ease, he could be blindfolded and still find his way back there. It was a bit brighter than usual but he couldn't bring himself to regret his delay. 

The Shadowhunter had never seen his boyfriend in such a state and as usual there was this invisible wall between them. It was not as solid as it used to be because over time, Magnus had timidly given him a few stones of this crumbling wall. With each piece more of his fears were revealed and Alec started to understand that this barrier was not just for protection.  
It had built itself over years, with blood, grief, loneliness and all the little secrets, that Magnus considered personal weaknesses.   
Alexander sometimes wished he could just tear down this wall, to somehow erase all this pain from his warlock. To be the person he can fully trust or at least to stand with Magnus behind this wall and not outside. But the Shadowhunter knew that was not possible - not now.  
Alec couldn't just heal all the grief and pain of several centuries and Magnus himself had to give him the key to this vulnerable side of him. Until then, he could only be there for his warlock, though sometimes it was very difficult.

Alexander had felt the strong urge to not let himself be pushed away from Magnus again this morning. How his boyfriend had lain there, at first completely calm and relaxed. The Shadowhunter did not often get the chance to see him like this. Both were early risers but Magnus always managed to be awake before him. 

So he had looked at his clear features, without the mask his boyfriend occasionally put on to hide his true feelings and without make-up. Alexander loved every side of Magnus, whether it was colorfully shimmering or more subtle. But to see him like this, so open, so completely himself ... it was a picture that Alec tried to keep in his memories. It was a rare and beautiful moment until his boyfriend suddenly started to shiver. 

The calmness disappeared from his face, as well as his posture. He first thought of a nightmare and had tried to cautiously wake the warlock. No matter if it was just illusions or not, he just didn’t want Magnus to suffer in any way. His attempt, however, was unsuccessful and then his boyfriend had suddenly begun to mumble words in a foreign language.  
The whole situation had been a little frightening, especially since something happened afterwards, which Alec absolutely did not expect. Magnus' magic, a part of his boyfriend that completely fascinated him, had chased over his skin like burning sparks. The Shadowhunter immediately felt the stinging pain, along with that weird, dark intensity within those little flames...

 

His hand tingled with the memory and Alec tried to ignore it as he entered the institute. Whatever was going on with Magnus earlier, he would try to talk to him again later. 

"There you are," Izzy hissed softly, cutting him off without warning and urged him towards the big screens. Alexander let it happen as he briefly studied the other Shadowhunters in the room. They seemed a bit nervous, but he did not even have to ask, since Isabelle had already noticed his look.   
"The inquisitor is here and has already caused quite a stir. There is talk of a new head of the institute, "Alexander felt a slight sting in his chest, because he originally had great plans. But now that they knew he was gay and his boyfriend a warlock ... the clave would not even consider him. 

"Jace told her that you maybe found a trail. Just try to memorize all this so that everything fits, "Isabelle continued, glancing at him before she lowered her voice after a moment's hesitation "Is everything alright with Magnus?". He should have expected this question, his sister knew him better than many others. Worry reflected in her dark eyes but Alec himself didn’t know what had happened earlier.   
"Yeah, he was ... a bit off this morning but we didn’t really had a chance to talk about it," he replied as honestly as possible, whereupon Izzy put a hand on his shoulder and gave a small smile, "Hey, you can do it. Whatever it is, you will find a solution ". She meant well, so Alexander returned her smile faintly. He could only hope it would be that easy.

"We'll see ... but first show me these weird demon attacks," he was grateful for Izzy's support, but there were other problems. Isabelle lived up to her surname and instantly moved into a more serious mood, "Of course, look at this".  
On the screen appeared various images, two Downworlders and a few Mundanes, all with extremely pale skin and bluish discoloration on their lips. Alec even recognized the two werewolves that belonged to Luke's pack. "The werewolves were reported to us this morning, the other three are from today or last night," Izzy explained as he took a closer look at the pictures. The Shadowhunter couldn’t remember seeing something like that before.

"How could that happen? What leaves such traces? ", he said thoughtfully and read through the little information they had.  
"Luke said a younger member of the pack just got away in time ... he described the attacker as a tall, pale figure. He must have been very fast and his touch has caused pain, "Izzy explained, giving him a pathological report," I was allowed to examine one of the werewolves this morning ... Alec, his blood was literally crystallized and his body completely frozen. "

Alexander glanced briefly at his sister and was about to look at the report when suddenly an alarm went off at the institute. "We've got strange signals in the city again," said a blond-haired Shadowhunter who was standing in front of another larger screen. "That could be the demon," Izzy said but Alec didn't have time to answer.

"Mr. Lightwood," his name echoed clearly across the room as the inquisitor entered the room. Next to her was Jace, who seemed quite thoughtful. "Nice to see that you have found your way back to the institute. However, I would like to remember that missions of this sort must be approved of by the head of the institute, "the Inquisitor reminded him in her typical stern tone as she studied Alec " I'll overlook it this time, since Aldertree is not here anymore. But in case of another offense there will be consequences. "  
Alexander returned her cold look and then nodded, "Of course, it will not happen again". It was almost frightening how easy this lie left his lips. The Shadowhunter respected the rules and not so long ago, they were his absolute law. However, his views had changed a bit, since not everything was just black or white. An important fact, that the clave liked to ignore.   
But Imogen had other things in mind anyway, as she now included Izzy, "I want you both to find out what's going on out there. If the attacker has killed a Mundane or Downworlder again, kill him immediately ".  
The order was clear, so he and Isabelle just nodded before heading off. Jace stayed behind, which did not quite fit Alec. Something was wrong and he wanted to know what it was.

 

Meanwhile Magnus sat in his apartment on his couch, staring at nothing in particular. Alexander had been away for a while now and he had taken time to shower as well and put on new clothes. But no matter how hot the water had been in the shower that icy feeling just didn't go away. Even now, it crept around him like phantom pains on a missing leg.   
The warlock knew everything was fine. He didn’t even felt the cold on his skin it was just ... like a piercing, painful memory. A sigh escaped his lips and he felt the urge to make himself a martini. Actually, it was too early for alcohol but who was here to judge him now?

He was about to get up when a noise caught his attention. It was just a small hiss in the air and if he had not heard it before, he probably wouldn't have noticed. But fortunately he did and it saved his life. 

Magnus skidded sideways as a long, white dagger just barely missed his head and pierced deep into the opposite wall. Quickly he got up from his couch to face the person who had gotten into his apartment unnoticed. Shock shot like poison through his mind when he saw that pale skin and dark blue veins. It was not the warlock from his dreams but that didn't make it any better. These beings had no reason to be here, they should be far away in their own dimension.

"I can't believe it ... Aaron's warlock," grinned the skinny woman with long gray hair and inhuman, bright green eyes. They looked like painted glass, which was illuminated by the sun. The color was far too intense and he could see the madness there, which undoubtedly raged inside the Seelie. 

"How did you get here?" Magnus asked and didn't wait to get his magic ready. It danced in blue flames around his fingers but there was also a slight reddish glow. A broad grin crossed the Seelie’s lips and she stared at his magic as if a completely broken Mundane had finally found the cure for his agonizing illness. Magnus felt a deep stab in his chest because he knew this was his fault.

"We are here because of the energy source ... something big and pure, very nearby. We didn't know you were here, too, "the woman muttered to herself, ignoring Magnus completely – just kept staring at his magic. She then starts to walk towards him, which is why the warlock took a few steps back. It was not until the Seelie finally noticed what he was doing that her entire behavior changed abruptly. All human features fell from her face, instead something almost animalistic took over.

"Don't take it away from me!" She hissed in a raspy voice and stormed toward Magnus, without any of the grace or elegance he had seen from these beings before. The warlock had no trouble stopping the woman with his magic, but her hurried attack was the least of his problems. As soon as his blue flames touched her skin, something in the air changed and he suddenly could see her breath as white mist. 

He felt how the temperature dropped in the whole room and watched as her eyes turn a clear dark blue. The sight made Magnus hesitate for a moment, because he knew that look. He knew exactly who was watching him through the eyes of the Seelie now. Her body then came to a complete halt from one second to the other, which was quite different from her previous hectic movements. Only her eyes continued to study him and then something happened that Magnus never wanted to experience again.

His magic wavered a little, which was not his fault. On the contrary, it just started to freeze. It began slowly at the spot where his blue flames held the Seelie's body in place. Shimmering ice shards trickled down from the connection between them and Magnus felt how his heart beat faster. Meanwhile, those disgusting, dark blue eyes continued to watch him, the expression in them almost challenging.

The warlock did not allow himself to look away. The frozen layer continued to make its way towards him, no matter how hard he tried to melt it off. Magnus could almost feel the cold on his fingers, knew that it would creep like a shadow through his veins, up to his lungs, deep into his heart ... his magic went out and he just had time to dodge the Seelie’s new attack. 

She was suddenly quite lively again, which is why the warlock drew the dagger out of the wall next to him. It is an instinctive act, born of a mistake he had just allowed to happen and the naive desire to save something here. The Seelie turned to him, only to attack Magnus again. She threw herself at him and the dagger found its way deep into her chest. A stupid attempt, as he already knew.  
The weapon had absolutely no effect, although green blood now stained her white dress. It was hard to feel such a thing when all emotions had disappeared and it was not your own heart that kept you alive. The woman just grinned at him with that insane expression on her face as she raised her right hand, adorned with glowing blue veins. It was exactly what Magnus had just tried to escape and he knew what would happen, once she touched him. Century-old memories pressed like knives into a hidden side of him – a part that still allowed fear and something so much darker. 

The Seelie wailed as her body went up in flames. Her shrill voice echoed deep into his ear until a shiver run down his spine. Panting, Magnus stumbled away until his back hit the wall. His magic rushed around him like aggressive fire, forming a slightly transparent wall between him and the Seelie cowering on the ground. The warlock tried not to look, though a sense of absolute shame broke over him like a wave. He had failed again, he had killed an innocent person again. The woman's screams died down as almost infinite minutes passed, but the damage done remained. How could this nightmare find its way back into life again ... and why?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed it and thanks for the comments/kudos :)


	3. Hidden behind golden eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isabelle and Alec are on a dangerous mission, but darkness doesn't hide only behind the enemies.

"It should be here," Izzy said thoughtfully as Alec checked the surroundings. They were a bit off downtown, near old warehouses. The attackers had disappeared here as far as Clary had told them over the phone. It was a bit strange, because it seemed like all the signals had suddenly changed direction at the same time.  
"We must be careful ... if they can somehow communicate with each other over such a distance, only one has to see us to warn everyone else," Alec replied, letting his fingers wander unconsciously over the string of his bow. It was still on its usual place over his shoulder, as there seemed to be no enemy nearby.  
"I'm just wondering where such demons suddenly come from," Izzy lowered her voice slightly as they both approached the large door of a warehouse. It stood open and Alec noticed small, half-melted ice shards on the floor. A few water drops dripped down from a bent lock, which probably kept the entrance closed. He exchanged a glance with his sister and took his bow off his shoulder while Isabelle extended her whip.

She then took the lead and quietly entered the large warehouse, Alec with watchful eyes behind her. It was still quiet, but perhaps too quiet. He got this strange feeling that something bad could happen or someone was watching him continuously. Inside, they could occasionally see smaller puddles of water on the ground, while some heavy metal bars were completely iced.

"Wait," Alec said softly and Isabelle stopped immediately, "Do you hear that?". It was very faint, but somewhere in the distance he could hear a strange noise. As if something was dragged over the ground, but real slow and as quiet as possible. Isabelle briefly tried to locate the sound and then carefully passed a few big, old boxes.   
Whatever sneaked around here still didn’t show and the silence returned. Alec tried to look at every open angle, every little shadow. Pure instinct made him stop before he ran into his sister, who suddenly headed for another direction.

"What's that?" Isabelle whispered softly and he followed her gaze. Somewhat surprised, Alec examined the strange pattern, which was clearly visible on the wall due to black lines. They formed a circle and looked as though they had been created by fire. Some symbols might have been in the middle, but they couldn’t be recognized anymore.  
"Maybe a place or formula to summon demons," Alec murmured thoughtfully, moving closer. "But the lines look old, our demons only appeared a few days ago," Isabelle replied, before both of them quickly turned around. This time the sound seemed much closer, though they still couldn’t see or feel anything. It was just a small, blue drop that fell from above on Isabelle's back, which allowed Alec to react in time.

"Watch out!", the Shadowhunter immediately shot an arrow up into the air and hit a creature he couldn’t even see. The beast howled as Isabelle quickly moved aside. A massive body hit the ground and Alec placed another arrow on the string of his bow as the animal slowly emerged from its camouflage. It reminded him of the color change of a chameleon, only that it was much more effective on this beast.   
Overall, the creature looked like a reptile, more precisely, like a mix of a crocodile and a snake. The lower part was clearly a snake with white scales and gray patterns. Then the upper body turned into the shape of a crocodile, with massive jaws and large, pointed teeth. Only the too-long, thin arms looked almost human, if the hands were not predominantly made of massive claws.

The beast uses these arms to move its body and also pull the arrow out of his chest. Despite its monstrous appearance, Alec did not miss the way the thick, gray scales on the creature's back were decorated with glowing blue lines. Nor how its saliva glowed in the same color or how Isabelle suddenly took off her jacket.  
The Shadowhunter risked only a quick glance to his sister, but could quickly see the small hole in the jacket where the small drop on her back had been. "I'm fine," Izzy assured him before he could even ask.

Interestingly, the head of the creature only changed direction when they said something. In rapid movements, it also always flicks its tongue, which made Alexander think that this thing didn't dependent on his eyes. Isabelle seemed to notice as well and she walked around the beast as quite as possible. They were now on different sides, so both could react accordingly to the situation.  
Instead of attacking, however, the creature only made shrill hissing sounds and looked generally restless. Like an animal in an invisible cage, but Alec couldn't see anything that would actually prevent it from doing anything.  
To take the chance, he aimed to the point where he suspected the creature's heart. Better they kill it now before it changed its mind. Alec even released the arrow, but then something happened that he had not seen before. A white object swung incredible fast past his field of vision and his arrow disappeared. Or at least it looked like it at first, because when Alec followed the path of the object, his arrow lay broken in half on the ground. A thin, white blade stuck deep in a wooden box and the Shadowhunter understood that somebody had literally taken his arrow out of the air. 

Unfortunately, there wasn't much time to think about it, because suddenly the creature stormed towards him without warning. "Alec!" he heard his sister call as he dodged the beast's huge mouth. A few drops of its saliva landed on his face and Alexander felt how it started to burn on his skin.  
A clawed hand then pushed him to the floor with extreme force, which even took his breath away for a moment. The beast hissed and tried to bite him again, but Isabelle's whip slipped around his neck. The demon cried out as electric shocks swept through its body. Alec quickly grabbed the blade on his leg and rammed it into the creature's arm, causing it to stumble backwards. 

"Did you see where the white blade came from?" Izzy asked, standing a little bit in front of him while Alexander rose to his feet. He felt a stabbing pain on his side and it could well be that two of his ribs were cracked. "Somewhere from the right, but I don't think it matters much", they had seen how quickly and silently the creature in front of them could move – who knew what the second enemy could do.   
Isabelle nodded and they both jerked aside as the demon attacked. With an aggressive growl, the beast slid aside as its injured arm gave way. Alec drew an arrow again and placed it on the string, since the beast was clearly focused on him. With a low growl it plunged in his direction and the Shadowhunter shot the arrow into his throat without hesitation. This time nothing stopped him and the demon crashed to the floor with a gurgling noise, desperately trying to remove the sharp object from its neck. Alec took a few steps back so that saliva would not hit him again, but kept a close eye on the creature. It was only gasping and it was clear the demon was taking its last breaths.  
When it finally stopped trying to remove the arrow, Alec looked at his sister and immediately froze for a second. Isabelle was kneeling on the floor, her face pale and a shocked look on her face.

"Izzy!", Alec hurried to her and almost forgot to pay attention to his surroundings. "My shoulder ... Alec," she could barely speak, her voice trembling so violently. Quickly he knelt down next to her and checked her shoulder, where a medium-sized, blue shard was stuck deep into her skin. Instinctively Alec grabbed the cursed thing and hissed, as it was extremely cold. The icy pain literally burned his hand, so he immediately released the shard as soon as it was removed from Izzy's shoulder.  
His sister still trembled and she grabbed at his black jacket. The Shadowhunter drew his stele and tried to help her with a rune, but nothing much happened. The wound healed, but Isabelle even cried out for a moment, clutching her shoulder. "Izzy talk to me, what's going on?" he asked with a slightly hectic voice, since he had never experienced his sister like this before.

"I-it's cold, it ... feels like poison," Isabelle replied with heavy breaths, holding back another scream behind clenched teeth. Alec looked around as he rummaged for his phone. The second demon could still be around, but he let his fingers wander over the display anyway and then put the phone to his ear. It rang unusually long and Alexander wanted to curse.   
"Come on, Magnus," he whispered with a tight feeling in his chest, which only got worse the more Izzy writhed in pain. "Alec ...", the Shadowhunter noticed the strange voice of his boyfriend somewhere in the back of his mind, as well as the use of his nickname. But the situation was so critical and Izzy in such a bad condition that he simply interrupted Magnus, "Magnus, I need your help. Izzy is hurt and I honestly don’t know what is going on with her or what demons we are dealing with ".  
He kept a watchful eye on the surroundings as he tried to hold his sister up. There was a brief pause and then Magnus sounded more like Alec was used to, "Where are you?".  
"At the old warehouses down by the river, a little out of," Alec didn’t need to say more as a portal appeared at the entrance behind him. He hung up when Magnus stepped out of it. This was surprisingly fast, but Alexander didn’t want to question it. Meanwhile, Magnus walked quickly towards them and knelt down.

 

"Be careful, there is another demon around," Alec warned and was completely ignored. His boyfriend's gaze was fixed on the blue shard on the ground and then on Izzy's shoulder. Alec didn't like the expression in his eyes at all, since it was shock, great worry and something else he couldn't explain.  
"There's nobody here," the warlock finally replied in a low voice, causing Alec to pause a bit, "We thought so before."  
"There's no one here," Magnus interrupted much louder this time, conjuring his magic. Alexander closed his mouth and studied his boyfriend closely. He seemed very strange and had never interrupted Alec in this way before. A scream of pain from Isabelle, however, forced him out of his thoughts and he gave Magnus a pleading look.  
The warlock glanced at him but only flicked at Isabelle's head with his magic, whereupon his sister fell unconscious into his arms. "What did you do?" Alec asked worriedly and slightly irritated as his boyfriend's blue magic just went out after that again. Magnus was silent for a moment and then shook his head with an apologetic expression, "I ... can’t heal her."

The sentence shot through his body like paralyzing claws and his throat tightened. "What?", he replied in a slightly hoarse voice, causing Magnus looke into his eyes. "What is currently eating through her veins is ice caused by dark magic, which will continue to spread. The only chance for her to survive is to burn it out of her body, "the warlock explained and Alec could see how much he was fighting with himself to say this, "The flames that are needed for this are only available in a currently unreachable place. Maybe there's another option too, but Alec ... it's extremely hard to control and I've never done it myself. If I make only the slightest mistake, I will kill her."

"Hey, wait a minute," the Shadowhunter intervened, as his boyfriend's sentences were getting faster and faster, "Calm down and tell me how we can help her." He placed a hand on Magnus's shoulder, because he seemed very on edge. Alexander was unfamiliar with this sight and deep inside he felt the sharp claws of fear. As far as he understood, there was a very real chance that Isabelle could die.   
Meanwhile, his boyfriend looked as if he wanted to say something, but then let it be. "How much time do we have and could another warlock do it?" Alec tried to help him out, forcing himself to remain calm when Magnus hesitated again, "No ... and we have maybe eight more hours before the ice reaches her heart."

His grip on Magnus's shoulder tightened unconsciously, while Alec somehow couldn’t breath. This was his little sister, his family ... "I found them!", a voice suddenly rang through the room and Simon appeared next to them, who was on his phone. "Hey guys, you really should pick up your phones, Clary was worried ... what's going on?", The vampire quickly switched from his usual self to audible concern. He ends his conversation with Clary and tried to make out possible injuries on Isabelle.  
"She got hurt, we don’t know," Alec didn't even want to finish this sentence, so he looked back at Magnus. "You have to try it ... do you need some of my strength, should I call Catarina?" he tried to persuade the warlock and could hardly bear the pity he saw in Magnus' eyes. "Alexander," his boyfriend whispered, causing Alec to reach for his hand, "Please!". They exchanged a long look, Simon with a worried expression beside them.

Even in her bad condition, Isabelle tightened her grip on Alec’s jacket and Magnus hesitated before dark red flames erupted on his fingers. The skin on Alec's hand tingled immediately, he knew this fire. Beside hope, wariness unintentionally crept through his body, which, strangely enough, intensified when Magnus' cat eyes came into view. They were still a beautiful sight but there was something in them ... a similar dark intensity as the dark red flames. Even Simon shifted slightly but the Shadowhunter didn't know if the vampire had ever seen the true eyes of his boyfriend before.  
Meanwhile, the warlock stared at Izzy's shoulder, seeming tense and hesitant. Alec knew it was risky and he had asked for it. But the closer the flames got to his sister, the more his Shadowhunter instincts came forward. It was not the urge to protect ... but rather the same feeling he got when he wanted to keep a demon away from his friends or family. This was Magnus, his own boyfriend. Of course Alexander knew about his demonic parent and what powers lingered inside the warlock's body. He had never felt threatened by Magnus, yet he unconsciously tried to catch his hand as the flames came closer.

However, before the Shadowhunter could touch anything, Magnus suddenly threw his dark red magic against the pattern on the wall, which immediately began to glow. Sparks flew across the floor, the faded symbols lit up. A dark portal appeared and unlike the usual portals, this one looked like it was torn into the atmosphere by force.  
"Come on ... this is too dangerous, we'll take her to someone who has done this before," Magnus said, not looking at Alec. The warlock was completely distant, his eyes dull and brown. Alexander wanted to say something but his boyfriend spoke to him again in a more serious voice, "We don’t have time, hurry up". This time, Alec did so without hesitation and lifted Isabelle into his arms.  
"Call Jace, tell him what happened and that we'll be back soon," he instructed Simon, who immediately shook his head, "What? No, forget it, I'll come with you". The Shadowhunter looked at him, but Magnus interrupted them by urgently calling his name. Alexander took a deep breath and then followed his boyfriend through the portal, followed closely by Simon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, comments, kudos and everything else you can do here! I had some troubles with this chapter, but i hope you liked it anyway :)


	4. The end is where we begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec, Simon and Izzy get to see a place from Magnus' past and the warlock already meets familiar faces.

Alec stepped out of the portal with Isabelle and had to turn his head to the side as warm, sandy winds blew into his face. It was only for a moment, though, and after that the Shadowhunter could finally see where they were.  
The first thing he noticed was the half-ruined temple where they stood. White limestone formed the smooth floor and the giant pillars on the side. Here and there, the paint was slightly faded or discolored by the abrasion of the sand. Behind him stood a gigantic, round stone slab, where the same pattern was depicted with red lines as in the warehouse. Next to the dark, upright plate stood two bowls of iron, both filled with charred wood.  
The ceiling was barely there and Alec could see their remains everywhere on the floor. Through the pillars, he could clearly see a seemingly endless desert, with high dunes and a few trees that looked quite similar to palm trees.

"Wow ...", Simon murmured beside him and Alec followed his gaze upwards. Despite the situation, even the Shadowhunter was speechless for a moment. Alec had never seen such a clear night sky. The stars sparkled on the dark blue sky, which even had purple hues in some places. This was probably due to the large, gray planet, which, like Jupiter, had a purple ring around it. He seemed to be so close, especially since two much smaller planets could be seen in a horizontal position next to it. 

A sudden blast of blue magic tore Alexander out of his thoughts, though he himself was spared from the effects. Several small lizards and beetles made hissed noises and escaped out of their hiding places into the desert. "Don’t get distracted, most creatures out here have some sort of poison," warned Magnus, who still seemed reserved. But Alec could also hear a certain undertone in his voice and if he had to guess, he would compare it to nostalgia.  
"Where are we?", Simon asked, and Magnus took a moment to examine his surroundings again, before answering, "This dimension is called Evaros ... you could compare it to the Seelie kingdom, only this world is usually completely separated from ours ". The warlock snapped his fingers and fire blazed in the bowls behind them. Alexander could not suppress the small sense of relief when he saw the normal, reddish color of them.  
"Put her over there, I'll try to take some of her pain," his boyfriend now spoke to him and he tried to make eye contact, but Magnus simply walked past him while he took off his dark jacket. He put it curled up down on the floor and Alexander understood that this was intended as a pillow for Izzy. Carefully, he placed his sister on the warm floor and watched as the warlock adjusted his jacket accordingly.

"Magnus ...", Alec didn't even intended to say something, it just happened. There was this strong urge to clarify the situation or this sudden tension between them, but he really couldn’t put all this into words. "It's okay," Magnus replied quietly and Alec almost wanted to protest when he saw the softer expression in the eyes of the warlock. Just a spark of the familiar, warm feelings, such as trust and the deep love, that Alexander had somehow gained for himself. It was far from enough, but still better than the completely closed impression moments ago. He was worried about the cause of this, and if his boyfriend would let him help.

His whispered name from Izzy's lips interrupted the moment between them and Magnus let his blue magic sweep over her. His sister looked paler than before, and feverish. Alec hated the sight, as well as the fact that he could do absolutely nothing for her. It sat like an unbearable weight on his shoulders. Simon stood next to them, his expression just as worried.  
"Okay ... so the person who can help her is here?", the vampire asked and Magnus sighed softly, "No, we have to take her to the city west of here". Alec looked at his boyfriend, because he still wasn't sure what he should do, "And you are sure he or she will help us?".  
"Yes," the warlock said after a few seconds and as his expression changed. He seemed suddenly more determined, as if he no longer wanted to be oppressed by certain thoughts or feelings, "His name is Aaron, king of the southern desert tribes. I have not seen him for years, but he will help us". Alec wanted to have his doubts - his boyfriend's strange behavior, this foreign world, and he should trust some king with the life of his sister. But if the Shadowhunter could hear something clearly from the warlock's voice, it was trust.

"Well, a king sounds great. Are we going now or…?" Alexander glanced at the vampire, as he honestly still didn't know why Simon was even here. Of course, the vampire noticed this and held his hands up a bit, "I just mean that maybe we shouldn't wait too long."  
Magnus slipped his hands back from over Izzy's body and his magic whirled between his palms before a glowing figure suddenly shot into the sky. It looked like a bird that flew west shortly after. "To portal Isabelle in this condition would be too dangerous and walking would not be fast enough. This sign should lure the patrolling guards here," the warlock explained, his magic beginning to disappear, but a glance at Alec stopped him.

Gently he raised one hand higher, sending blue sparks across Alec's cheek, where the saliva of this creature in the warehouse had hit him. It left a pleasant feeling and the burning sensation disappeared. "Thank you," the Shadowhunter said with a small smile, which Magnus returned briefly. He did not mention the pain on his ribs, the warlock was busy enough to help Izzy somehow and who knew when he would need his magic again.  
Alec did not know this world, but as far as he had heard from his boyfriend, it was definitely not safe. So he left it at that and made only a mental note to deal with his injury later.  
"Stay with her," Magnus said softly, looking worriedly over Izzy's trembling body before going to the Temple's entrance. He seemed to gaze out into the distance while Simon took his original position. The vampire obviously wanted to say something, but then let it be. Alec assumed Simon had not missed the strange behavior of his warlock. 

 

What followed was simply an unbearable silence and waiting. Only Izzy occasionally could not suppress a small cry of pain, which made Alexander more nervous with each passing minute. He was overcome by the urge to pace back and forth, feeling as if his body could no longer contain these strong feelings inside of him. At the same time, he did not want to leave his sisters side no matter what.  
It was driving him crazy and as the sky started to turn reddish, it got even worse. Had they been here for hours or just arrived at the end of the night?  
"Magnus," he shouted over his shoulder, but suddenly the earth began to shake. Small stones and sand trickled from the ceiling and Alec saw how Magnus’s fingers blazed up with blue magic. "Stay with Izzy," the Shadowhunter told Simon and quickly grabbed his bow to run to the entrance.

"What's going on?" Alec asked as soon as he stood next to his boyfriend, an arrow already ready to fire. The warlock scrutinized the area and Alexander almost wanted to shoot when a huge figure shot out of the sand.  
Dust swirled around, but that was not what had kept the Shadowhunter from his shot. It was blue magic that held his hand tightly. "Wait," Magnus called over the loud hiss of the creature, which looked like an oversized snake. Her scales were dark brown, with white patterns and spikes on its backs. Large eyes sparkled in a bright yellow and the beast had enormous fangs.  
The snake shook the remaining sand from her body and only then did Alec recognize the thick leather straps around her neck. A little farther back, something also seemed to be attached on the snakes back.

"Agora?", his boyfriend spoke to the beast and his magic vanished as he cautiously took a few steps forward. Alec was less willing to just drop his weapon and kept a close eye on both. The snake hissed, reared up in a manner that looked very much like an attack. In response, the warlock began to speak in another language, the words now deeper and more rolled. The Shadowhunter was not sure, but it seemed to be a similar language that Magnus had used this morning during his nightmare.  
The snake opened her mouth, then tilted her head slightly to the side. Her posture seemed tense, at the same time the aggressiveness in her hiss decreased. If Alec had to put it into words, he would say the beast was irritated. Magnus raised a hand and the Shadowhunter automatically aimed at her head as the snake bended lower. Immediately she hissed in his direction, but Magnus drew her attention to himself again by calmly talking to her.  
Astonished, Alexander watched as the beast finally reached the warlock and squeezed the front of her closed jaw against Magnus's hand. "It's okay, good girl," his boyfriend whispered softly as he caressed a bit over her dark brown scales. Alec slowly lowered his bow, as there seems no danger here. Even if he didn't quite know how Magnus knew this snake or why she was so tame towards him.

"Simon, bring Isabelle over here," the warlock called out and Alexander looked to his side as the vampire followed the instruction. He held Izzy gently in his arms; Magnus' jacket lay across her pale body. "Let me do it," Alec was already reaching for his sister when his boyfriend interrupted him, "Wait, Alexander." The snake was now flat on the ground and the Shadowhunter saw how Magnus inspected the leather straps on her back. Now that the beast was no longer upright, Alec could see some kind of a smaller wooden platform there.  
"We will use Agora to get to the city. Since she can’t go under the sand with us, it would be better if you have your bow ready, "said the warlock and unlike Simon, who didn't look thrilled about the whole thing at all, Alexander just nodded. They had no time and he trusted Magnus. If his boyfriend thought that was the best option, he wouldn't question it.

 

"Come on," he urged the vampire and watched as Simon carefully climbed onto the platform with Izzy. Magnus had built something like stairs with his magic and a few stones to make it easier to get there. The snake hissed uneasily, but stayed in place. "What do I hold on to?" Simon asked, whereupon the warlock went up as well. "There are ropes attached to the wood, it's best to just kneel down and hold on to them."  
The vampire tried to find a good place, as Alec followed his boyfriend. "Why is the snake listening to you?" the Shadowhunter asked, thinking about how to position himself. "It's a basilisk," Magnus corrected him, before kneeling and slipping a leg under a rope, "They are very dangerous and hard to tame. You only have the chance to somehow bring them under control by raising them from birth. I did the same thing with Agora and I guess we were lucky that she recognized me".

The Warlock tugged at the rope a bit so he could wrap it around his leg again. It didn’t look comfortable, but Alexander got the idea behind it. Magnus made sure he could use his hands in an emergency without risking to fall down. So he looked for a place where he could do the same. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he still wondered when and how long Magnus had actually been here.  
The basilisk didn’t look small, on the contrary. "I'll tell you more later, now we have to think about Isabelle," the warlock finished any conversations that might have arisen and blue magic crawled over the ropes. Alec felt how it took hold on him, Simon and his sister were almost completely wrapped up in it.  
"Guess that means hold on tight," Simon murmured and Magnus nodded at the front of the platform, "My magic will help you, but try to stay calm. No matter what happens, do not get off her back. It may be that other creatures or the guards of the city want to stop us - please do not shoot anything before I tell you, Alexander ". Clear instructions, but his boyfriend also briefly sought eye contact with him and Simon. An attempt to relieve the tension that started built up.

Magnus then gave the basilisk another command in that foreign language. Simon made a surprised sound and Alec almost lost his grip on the rope, as the snake suddenly jerked forwards. With a loud hiss, she moved gracefully across the sand in rapid speed.  
Warm wind hit their faces and some sand grains were whirled up next to Agora every now and then. It took a few minutes for Alec to get used to these unfamiliar movements. His biggest concern was still his sister, but the more he saw of those big dunes, strange plants and even a narrow river, the more excitement crept through his body. The sight was incredible, especially as the sunrise gave the river a yellow-orange glow.  
Alec could not compare this place with anything in his memories, and he wanted Izzy to see it too. Meanwhile, Magnus controlled the basilisk with a precision as if he would do it every day. Stable body posture, clear words, and a little magic at the side of the snake's head to bring the wild beast back to its intended course when needed.

 

The whole thing worked quite well for a while, until a sound in a very high pitch caught their attention. Alec looked to the side and out of passing sand a whole pack of dark figures suddenly appeared. They could keep up with the speed of the basilisk, but their actual bodies were barely recognizable. Agora hissed aggressively and his boyfriend tried to keep her under control while also looking at the creatures.  
"Alexander, don't let them get too close!", The warlock called to him and the Shadowhunter immediately got his bow ready. It was difficult to keep his balance and it took a moment before he could finally aim. The creatures moved closer to them, allowing Alec to see them better. They looked like big hyenas, only that their bodies were much bigger and their fur was perfectly adapted to the environment. Thick, dark bone plates sat on their back, with some pointed, crooked teeth in their mouths.  
The beasts moved incredibly fast and seemed to divide into two groups. A hyena howled as reddish magic exploded close to its paws, encouraging a second one to attack. Agora swung sideways and it almost took the perfect shot from Alexander that prevented the hyena from leaping on Magnus. Luckily, the arrow hit just below the bone plate in its stomach, causing the creature to whimper and slide sideways off the basilisk.

"There's more on the other side!" Simon suddenly called out, drawing the attention of Magnus and Alec to the other side. There, in fact, a second pack of hyenas approached, no less aggressive. "Don't let them come up here," the Warlock replied, and a few words made Agora move faster. There was now a moderate gap between them and the pack, but it was clear that the beasts would catch up quickly. Especially since the lower part of the basilisk was now dangerously exposed, even if the hyenas were clearly aiming for her head - and of course for them.

Alec put another arrow on his bow and waited for his opportunity. The hyenas reformatted and Agora jerked sideways as two of them sprang onto her back. The Shadowhunter could hit on in the head, the other beast lost its grip because of the hectic movements of the basilisk.  
"Watch out!", Simon's warning came a little too late, because the next moment a hyena jumped suddenly from a different angle and even from the front onto the platform. Alec instinctively reached for another arrow while he saw in the corner of his eye how Magnus's blue magic flared up. But before any of them could attack, a dark dagger pierced the creature's skull. The hyena made a whining sound and fell down.

Alexander's gaze flicked to the side, only to see a group of men riding on similar creatures. They all had tanned skin, rather dark hair and something like black tattoos on their arms or even on their faces. Their clothes seemed to be of very simple material, possibly natural leather. Three of them aimed with large, brown bows at the hyenas that pursued them.  
Magnus shouted a few words to Agora and the snake slowed before finally turning around to allow the warlock to see the fight behind him. The men made short work of the beasts; they shot or stabbed the larger animals and soon forced the smaller hyenas to retreat.

 

One of the strangers then rode up to Agora and Alec was a little surprised to see Magnus climbing down from the basilisk. Instinctively, he held his bow in his hand, but the Shadowhunter already had a feeling that his boyfriend knew these men. The rest of the group stopped behind the stranger, who also went down from his hyena.  
He looked older than them, maybe in his late forties. His black hair was rather dry, though neatly tied at the back of his head. His physique was big and muscular, with several faded scars on his skin. Dark brown eyes glared at them coldly, the expression vanishing from his face a little as he stood in front of Magnus.

Both looked at each other briefly and a smile crept onto the stranger's lips as the warlock firmly placed a hand on his right shoulder. The man returned the gesture and the other soldiers moved their weapons closer to their torsos in a swift motion. It somehow had the same effect as saluting, at least Alec felt that way.  
"Magnus Bane ... I didn't think I'd ever see you again", the words left rather strangely and with a slight accent the stranger's mouth, yet Alec understood every word without a problem. Since Magnus stood with his back to him, it was hard to see his reaction. But the warlock's voice sounded friendly, with a nostalgic undertone, "To be honest, I didn't intend to return. But Khagar ... a friend of mine was attacked by the northern people, she was infected by black ice".

The stranger looked over at them and slid his hand off from Magnus's shoulder. He changed to another language, which sounded much more fluidly. Of course, Alexander couldn't understand anything, he just heard Aaron's name. His boyfriend, however, only tightened his grip on Khagar's shoulder and switched to that other language too; his answer was quite harsh, almost demanding.  
The man only looked at Magnus then, the expression in his eyes thoughtful rather than angry. The warlock now spoke a little quieter, but no less strict. Isabelle could be heard behind them as she made small painful sounds. Khagar was silent for several moments before his facial expressions closed into a cold mask again. He nodded, said a few words to Magnus, and then growled something to his men.  
His boyfriend also released his shoulder so he could climb back onto Agora. "They will escort us to the city, we should be there in an hour," the warlock said and Alec had so many questions, but his great concern for his sister silenced them. The Shadowhunter would find out later what connection Magnus had to these people, now they had to save Izzy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably sound like a broken record but i'm so happy for the kudos, comments and everyone who keeps reading! I know the chapters a far from perfect but it doesn't happen often that i do something other people like or even acknowledge, so...thanks for that.


End file.
